Wherever You Go
by PrettyLittleMonster
Summary: "Ace, I could never leave you." A collection of one-shots that center around Jack and Katherine; the pivotal moments, and the little things.
1. Chapter 1

**(Author's Note: Well, I've finally gone and done it. I've written a Newsies fanfiction. This first one flips between Jack and Katherine's POV, but the rest will be one or the other, I promise! Enjoy!**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing except my own imagination. Especially the dialouge in this first chapter-that's not mine at all.)**

Chapter 1

"And if I were a boy, you'd be looking at me through one black eye!" Katherine shouted, balling her hand into a fist and raising it to his chin. She couldn't believe how impertinent he was being.

"Go ahead. Don't let that stop you. Gimme your worst," Jack retorted angrily. He took a step forward, his eyes burning into her.

A thought pushed its way violently into Katherine's mind. It was irrational and selfish and stupid, but for some insane reason, she was considering it anyway. What was wrong with her? She was confident that acting on that thought would get her into trouble of some kind or another, but she also knew it would get his attention. It would get him to trust her again. She needed him to trust her.

So she kissed him.

* * *

><p>Jack was genuinely stunned when Katherine's mouth collided with his. He tensed up; he knew very well that this was not supposed to happen, but-after the initial shock wore off-he didn't care. It was selfish of him to want it and, well, it wasn't right, but he wanted it anyway.<p>

He moved to kiss her back, but as soon as he did, Katherine pulled away from him sharply.

"Wait." She looked down, blushing a dark red, her eyes wide.

"Huh?" He squeaked. He would never understand her. She'd kissed him, but it was as if she was afraid to let him kiss her back. It didn't make any sense.

"I need to know that you cave for the money," she said calmly, looking at him with a sad intensity in her eyes. He sighed. That's what this was about.

"I spoke the truth. When you win a fight, when you got the other fella down, eating pavement…" He broke off there, not sure where he wanted to go with it, and tried again. "You heard your father; he ain't never givin' up… I don't know what else we can do."

"Ah, but I do." Jack scoffed under his breath, and Katherine let out a huff, clearly annoyed by his unintentional arrogance. "Really Jack? Really? Only you can have a good idea?" She paused. "Or is it because I'm a girl?"

"I didn't say-"

"This would be a good time to shut up." And he did. She continued, "Being boss doesn't mean you have all the answers, just the brains to recognize the right one when you hear it."

So he stayed quiet and let her tell him about her solution. The Children's Crusade. It was a good plan, he had to admit. It just might work. Katherine began bounding down the ladder from the roof, but he wasn't quite done yet.

* * *

><p>"Hey, hey! Wait, stop. What's this about, for you?" He spat as she began to climb down from the rooftop, "And I don't mean the Children's Crusade. What is <em>this <em>about?" He gestured at the two of them, and Katherine knew exactly what he was referring to. "Am I kidding myself, or… I mean, is there something…" He trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished, hanging in the air awkwardly. She started back up the ladder and said nonchalantly,

"Well of course there is." She didn't want to have to have this conversation. She had hoped they wouldn't have to talk about this, but the hurt expression that immediately darkened his face told her otherwise.

"Well don't just say it like it happens every day." He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Jack, I didn't mean-" She tried to amend, but he cut her off.

"I ain't stupid-" he paused "-I know guys like me don't end up with girls like you. And I don't want you promising nothing you're just gonna take back later. But standing here, tonight, looking at you, I'm scared tomorrow's gonna come and change everything." He looked different than Katherine had ever seen him before. He was vulnerable. "If there was a way, I'd grab ahold of somethin' and make time stop, so I could keep on lookin' at you."

She felt her face getting warm again.

"You snuck up on me Jack Kelly.I never even saw it coming." She laughed, and Jack finally cracked a smile.

"For sure?" He laughed.

"For sure."

They talked-fairly awkwardly-for a few minutes, but suddenly their hands were twined together and she was kissing him again. It was slower this time, and she was more aware of it happening. Her heart fluttered restlessly in her chest. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

* * *

><p>He wondered if she was as nervous as he was. He had butterflies in his stomach, and he was kissing her-for real-for the first time. And it occurred to him again that this wasn't supposed to happen. He was just a poor kid. These things weren't supposed to happen to him. It wasn't right.<p>

He pushed himself away from her, and a small noise of protest escaped her lips before he uttered,

"If things were different."

"If you weren't going to Santa Fe?" She guessed, a wounded expression flashing across her face. He wanted to deny it, but it was partly true, so he just added,

"And if you weren't an heiress. If yer father wasn't after my head." She only laughed, shaking her head and saying,

"You aren't really scared of my father."

"No," he spun around to face her, "but I am pretty scared of you," he said sheepishly.

"Don't be," she breathed kindly, and he swore to himself then and there that he wouldn't.

**(There you have it! Please feel free to let me know if you spot any mistakes and I will fix them as soon as I can. Like I said, this is (basically) a collection of one-shots, so if you have any prompts or ideas, let me know! Any reviews at all would be lovely!**

**Much Love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**(Author's Note: I can't tell you how excited I am that you guys are reading this! I also wanted to thank KnightNight7203 for my lovely first review, and for originally being the one who inspired me to publish this. I highly reccomend anything she's published, especially her Newsies stuff!**

**Standard disclaimers apply, I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Chapter 2

"Hey, all of yous, listen up!" Jack shouted as he climbed up onto a large wooden milk crate, attracting the attention of the boys-and a certain reporter-in Newsies Square. In the week since the strike, they'd been pestering him nonstop, wanting to know what was happening next, if he was taking the job he'd been offered at The World, and honestly, Jack had been avoiding it all. The questions, the job, the boys, even Katherine.

It was time to stop avoiding everything.

"So uh, I guess you all want to know where I'm going from here, and, well," he found Katherine among the swarm of newsboys, and made eye contact with her, "I'm gonna take the job at The World-" here he was interrupted by an eruption of cheers from the boys-"but this don't mean anything's gonna change, alright? I'll still be here, sellin' papes with yous every morning." He grinned at them, and hopped down from his perch on the crate.

As the boys dispersed into the streets, Jack cut thought the crowd to find Katherine. She was walking in the opposite direction, but he caught her hand, and she turned to face him in surprise.

"Hey," he mumbled, suddenly rather nervous and emberassed.

"You haven't been around much," she replied coldly. Ouch. He was afraid something like this would happen. Her face showed no trace of expression, save for the slightest hint of disappointment.

"Look, I'm real sorry Ace. I was just, well, I was scared, alright? I guess I was afraid that when it was all over, it'd be different, ya know? That _we_ would be different." He waited for a reaction. Relief washed over him in a wave when a laugh escaped Katherine's mouth, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Why would anything be different? The strike's over, and you won! You did it."

"Hey, _we_ did it."

"Just… Just promise me one thing," She said, turning serious. Newsies Square was almost empty by that point. "Promise me you won't up and leave one day, whether it's for Santa Fe, or somewhere else, just don't leave me."

"Ace, I could never leave you." Suddenly her arms were around his neck, hugging him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"That's all I needed to hear," she murmured. Jack threw his arms around her waist, and hugged pulled her closer, subsequently lifting her a few centimeters off the ground. He buried his face in her hair; he could feel the eyes of some of the newsboys on him, but he didn't care. Katherine made him happy. He had no idea what he did to deserve it-or if he even deserved it at all-but he was happy.

**(Okay, so this one was real short, but the next one will be longer, I promise! Please please please review, and feel free to send in prompts or ideas, I'd love to hear them. I'll try to update again soon.**

**Much Love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**(Updating a few days early because I'm just in one of those moods where I write a lot, so it happened. Also, I'm seeing Newsies in less than two weeks, and I literally cannot contain my excitement! I am SO HAPPY. NEWSIES.**

**Many thanks to MusicAngel98 for this amazing idea!**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I won nothing but my own imagination.)**

Chapter 3

Katherine Plumber stared awkwardly at the ground. She wanted nothing more than to just disappear. She silently cursed her father for doing this to her; she'd known he wouldn't like that she was seeing Jack, but she hadn't expected him to try to set her up with someone else, especially someone he knew very well she wouldn't want to hurt. Anyone else, she would have walked away-or just not shown up in the first place-but, well, her father was smarter than she thought.

"Katherine?" Darcy cracked a lopsided smile at her and offered her his arm. She took it halfheartedly. How could her father do this to her? Darcy was her friend, had been for ages, and she didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted to leave almost more. But she did what she was supposed to, and walked quietly alongside Darcy, eyes slightly lowered to the ground in front of her.

"Hey, Katherine?" Darcy ventured, sitting her down on a park bench, "are you okay?"

"Yes," she said automatically, but he raised his eyebrows at her knowingly. "No," she amended. "Darcy, I just-"

"Would rather be anywhere in the world than here, with me. I know," he interrupted with a laugh. "And that's okay. You're great Katherine, but I don't think would be a good couple. Ever." She breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't mad, and opened her mouth to elaborate, but Darcy stopped her, saying it for her.

"But your father decided to set you up with me. You did what you were told, but you could care less what your father thinks, because you're in love with Kelly." Katherine blushed and asked,

"Is it that obvious?" He pondered this question for a minute and replied,

"Katherine, I'm telling you this as your friend; yes. It is," he chuckled "I saw the way the two of you were together during the strike." She smiled, glad that he understood.

Her smile faded though, when she saw the person who was standing a few yards away from her, looking rather disappointed and hurt, almost like he was about to cry. Jack turned away sharply, and Katherine's breath suddenly became short and shallow.

"Darcy?" She whispered, nervously.

"Why do you look so... guilty?"

"I don't know! Why do I feel guilty?" She wrung her hands, feeling her face turning warm.

"Just talk to him," Darcy advised calmly, "you aren't guilty, and you haven't done anything wrong. Just get over there before you lose track of him." She stood up, her legs shaking already.

"Okay."

"And Katherine," she turned back around, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. For all of this. We're still friends, right?"

"Of course." A smile spread across Darcy's face and Katherine hurried to catch up with Jack.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and her hands were cold and clammy by the time she found him sitting under a willow tree, sketching something too vague to make out just yet.

"Jack?" He didn't even look up at her, just continued drawing his pencil across the paper in short, quick strokes and muttered,

"That's what I get for trusting you. You just go right back to your fancy suitors and your-" She interrupted him, unable to bear the obvious note of betrayal in his voice.

"Jack, listen to me." He let out a melodramatic sigh and she crouched next to him. "My father was trying to set me up with Darcy, okay? But I don't care, Jack, because I love you. Besides, Darcy's my friend, I could never… I just-no-and he's the one who told me to chase after you just now." Jack stared at the page in front of him, still not meeting her gaze. "I don't know what else to say except that if I was going back to my 'fancy suitors' as you put it, do you think I'd be sitting here with you right now?" He finally looked up at her, his eyes still clouded with hurt and worry, and mumbled a halfhearted 'no.'

"Oh, Jack." She sighed and sat parallel to him, cautiously taking his free hand in both of her own. "Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," he said quietly, refusing once again to look her in the eyes.

"Look at me. Jack Kelly, do you trust me." She enunciated every syllable, and he finally snapped his head towards her.

"Yes. Katherine Plumber, I trust you."

"Good." She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, watching him draw what had begun to take shape as a hasty sketch of a boy sitting under a willow tree, alone.

"God, you can be so insecure sometimes," she breathed.

"That ain't true!" Katherine laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, c'mon Jack, you know it is." He grumbled a small sound of dissent, but dropped the issue, going back to his drawing. Katherine hoped he understood. She could tell he was still a little standoffish, but what else could she say? Finally, she simply reached over and snatched his newsboy cap off his head, arranging it on top of her own auburn curls.

"Hey!" Jack shouted, dropping his pencil into the grass and grabbing in vain for his cap.

"What, did you want this back?" Katherine asked, smiling coyly and taking a few steps backward, increasing the distance between them.

"Ace?"

"Hmm?" Jack just looked at her contemplating, for a minute, then scrawled a few words sloppily on the bottom of his drawing, folded it up, and held it out to her at arm's length.

"I'll trade ya." She pretended to consider his offer for a moment before giving in.

"Deal," she chirped, and took off the cap, tossing it to him, and taking the paper from his outstretched hand.

"I'll see ya later Ace, okay?" He laughed, shoving the newsboy cap back on his head.

"Absolutely." He walked off, and Katherine saw Darcy out of the corner of her eye, beaming at her. Of course he had stuck around to see if they'd work it out. She only laughed, and unfolded the piece of paper Jack had handed her. It was his sketch of the boy and the willow tree, but he'd added a girl with long curls, and a newsboy cap perched on her head. She was sitting next to the boy, their hands locked together, and she was smiling brightly, contrasting the boy's melancholy expression. Katherine beamed. The caption read, in Jack's messy chicken scratch,

"Ace,

I trust you. And I love you."

**(Hopefully I can get another update up on Sunday as per susal, but no promises. Any and all reviews/ideas/prompts would be HIGHLY appreciated!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**(Author's Note: This is another really short one, sorry. I'm better at short and sweet, so I figure I won't mess with it too much. Also, if you hadn't noticed, these are going in chronological order; just thought I'd note that.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination)**

Chapter 4

Jack didn't watch much of the ballet. He was too busy watching Katherine watch the ballet, the one he'd taken her to for her birthday.

"You spend too much time reviewing shows and not enough time just watchin' em," he'd told her, "and for once, we'll be a proper couple, going to the ballet and everything." He knew Katherine couldn't care less about being a 'proper couple' (because Katherine Plumber did what she liked thank-you-very-much) but he thought she would appreciate the gesture.

And the boys teased him of course, but then again, when didn't they tease him about her? It was always good natured, and never meant to be hurtful, but boy did Jack get his fair share of doe eyes and feigned gasps of surprise when they found out where he was headed that evening.

"Hey Jackie!" Race had called out, doubled over with laughter, "When ya gonna take _me_ to a fancy ballet, huh?" Their voices filled the lodging house, making Jack's face burn, emberrassed. Only Crutchie stayed quiet, giving Jack an encouraging grin from across the room.

"Ah, you can all just shut up," Jack muttered, as he lightly pushed Race away and walked out the front door.

* * *

><p>When the theatre lights went down, and the curtains opened to a rush of colorful backdrops and sets, Jack wasn't paying all that much attention to what was happening on the stage. He found that he preferred to watch Katherine, reacting in the slightest, almost unnoticeable ways. She had all but forgotten him, and was transfixed by the dancers and the music, and he was okay with that. He noticed the way she leaned forward in her seat when the music softened, as if somehow that would make it grow louder again, and the way her eyes followed the movement of the dancers, filled with excitement and light. She reminded him of a child seeing snow for the first time. Jack wondered if she'd ever just gone to a show without making it a part of her work.<p>

About halfway through, Katherine seemed to suddenly remember that Jack was there, and she leaned her head on his shoulder and took his hand in hers. It suddenly occurred to him just how lucky he really was. Not all that long ago, he had fallen head over heels in love with a girl on the street, a stranger, who was utterly repelled by him. He didn't expect to even see her again, let alone have her working with him and his boys, and helping them win the strike. He didn't know how or why it happened, but somewhere along the way, she'd fallen in love with him too, and there they sat, hand in hand, against all odds. He was lucky all right.

When the curtains closed, the applause died down, and the lights came back on, Katherine turned to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much," she offered, "You don't understand how lucky I am to have you." Jack laughed as they both stood up from their seats and made their way to the exit of the theatre.

"Actually, Ace, I think I do."

**(Thanks so much for reading! I could really use some reviews today, so let me know what you think! If there's anything I need to fix, let me know and I will get to it. **

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**(Author's Note: Well, this is pretty much a bunch of fluff, but I saw Newsies today with my family, and so I just needed to write this. I am never taking off my Newsies shirt.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

It was late, it was snowing, and Jack Kelly was on her fire escape. Katherine stepped away from her typewriter, and cocked her head slightly, both a bit alarmed, and perplexed. He gave her a crooked smile, as if asking to be let it, and of course, she relented, lifting the window. Jack climbed through, shook a few flakes of snow from his hair, and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"Jack Kelly," she sighed, "what the hell were you doing on my fire escape, at 11 o'clock at night?" She wasn't angry, in fact, she was rather pleased to see him there-probably more than she should be-but she was curious.

"I'm sorry Ace, I just, well I-" he ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep breath "-I just needed to _not_ be in charge for once, you know? I love my boys; I do, but tonight... I needed to not have to play big brother to everyone, just for a little bit, and uh, I thought of you." Katherine blushed ever so slightly; she liked that his first reaction was to come to her, more than she wanted to admit.

"Well, don't be sorry. You're always welcome here," she cooed, and instead of the mumbled and slightly sheepish 'thank you' she was expecting, he pressed his lips firmly against hers. She uttered a soft, surprised, "oh" before reciprocating, working her fingers gently through his messy hair, his newsboy cap falling to the floor. He pulled her closer so she was flat against him, the heat from his hands on her waist sinking through her blouse. Her back was against the wall, keeping her pinned to that spot until, as quickly as he had flown at her, Jack backed away, amending rapidly,

"I-I'm sorry, I just, well I did need to get away from the lodging house, but I also just needed _you_ right now." Katherine walked with him; not letting him put too much distance between them.

"Jack, it's okay, stop apologizing. I understand. Really, I do." She smirked, and added, "Besides, I don't think I'll ever complain if you're kissing me." This statement put a smile back on Jack's face. She loved his smile-his real smile. It wasn't the self-assured grin he wore when he was flirting with her, or teasing one of the boys, it was the look he got when he was truly happy. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, letting him lift her off the ground a fraction of an inch.

When she was back on the ground again, she remembered the article she had abandoned at her desk. "Jack, I-" she started, planning to tell him that she needed to get some work done, but he was welcome to stay. Then she saw the look in his eyes. It was a look that said, "I need you." Somehow seeing it on his face was different than hearing him say it, although she didn't know why. So for once, she left her work untouched.

"I... I'm really glad you came here," she finished, running her fingertips up his arms and quickly kissing the corner of his mouth. "Now, what's going on with the boys?" This had obviously been the right thing to ask, because the words began to tumble from Jack's mouth without a moment of hesitation. She sat on her little couch and listened intently as he went on about Les and Davey going back to school, and Specs's newfound anxiety about the future, and some girl that Race was pestering, and Crutchie's leg getting worse in the wintertime; he talked for over an hour, sometimes sitting next to her, so close that she hardly had room to breathe, other times leaping up and pacing around the room like a madman.

Katherine realized just how much this must have been weighing on him. He carried the weight of each and every one of those boy's troubles on his shoulders, and he never complained, never asked for help. When he was finished, he curled up tightly against her, his fingers pressing into her ribs, and the sound of his heavy breathing filling the apartment.

Katherine didn't know what to say, what could she say? She wanted to fix everything, to think of just the right thing to make him feel better. She was so good with words on paper, why was it so hard to find the right words then? So finally, she just gave up, knowing that he would understand what she was trying to say, even if she couldn't say it. Jack was good at that. He had his face buried in her neck, kissing her gently and she just sat and stroked his tangled mess of hair.

So maybe she couldn't make everything better. Maybe she couldn't fix it all for him, but she could stay here with him. She could be his support when he needed her. She could love him.

And maybe that would be enough.

**(So what did you think? Was it okay? I wasn't too sure about this one, so I hope you all liked it. Please please PLEASE review! I would love any ideas or prompts you guys can think of, and if there's anything I need to fix, let me know. Thanks!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**(Author's Note: This is short. I know, but I think I'll have another short one up tonight, so two updates in one night should make up for it, right? Sorry, Kat isn't in either of them, but they're about her. Also, this mentions her cousins. I'm taking some artistic liberties with her family, so just stay tuned and be prepared for that when it gets here. **

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.) **

"Hey, you okay Jackie?" Crutchie Morris studied his best friend's face as he jolted back into reality. (He had previously been staring into space, his eyes practically burning holes in the thin, lodging house walls.)

"What? Oh, I-I'm fine," Jack sputtered, "Don't worry about it kid." Crutchie could tell the minute the words left his mouth that Jack was lying through his teeth. He knew his best friend-well, they were more like brothers-and could read him like a book. If Jack was really fine, he'd have made some witty remark, or at least teased Crutchie for worrying too much.

"You miss her, don't you?" He accused, already knowing the answer.

"Huh?"

"Katherine. You miss Katherine. That's what's wrong." Jack gave a slightly embarrassed grin, but didn't deny it, confirming Crutchie's suspicions. Ever since Katherine had left on a short trip with her cousins, he'd been unusually quiet and despondent. Yep, if anyone could read Jack, it was Crutchie.

"You really love her, don't you?" Jack merely leaned against the wall and though for a minute.

"I just…" he started timidly, taking long pauses between his phrases, as if trying to think about how to put his thoughts into words. "I ain't ever felt like this about anybody before, but… well, I-I don't deserve her, Crutchie… really, I don't." A look resembled disappointment brushed Jack's face, and Crutchie limped across the room slowly to sit next to his friend.

"But, you love her, right?"

"Well, sure I do, but-"

"Then it don't matter," he insisted. "Look, so what if she's some rich guy's daughter, and that rich guy don't like ya too much? That don't mean nothin'. I ain't ever seen you so happy as when you's with Katherine. She's good for you. An you's good for her too. She loves you Jack." Jack's face lit up with the biggest smile Crutchie had ever seen.

"Ya really think so?"

"Jackie, I _know_ so." Jack chuckled, mussing up Crutchie's hair.

"Thanks kid," he mumbled, beaming.

"Hey, what are friends for?"

**(Hopefully I'll have another update in the next hour or so. See you soon. PLEASE review. I could really use some love tonight...**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**(Two updates in one night? ****Inconceivable****! Consider yourselves lucky...**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Her words echoed in his head as he stared at the insensitive, wooden doors in front of him.

"Jack, what's wrong?" She'd asked him the day before, a worried look filling her brown eyes, "You seem, I dunno, nervous." Jack had shrugged it off at the time, for her sake, but now…

Of course he was nervous. He was terrified. Jack drew in a deep breath, balled his hand into a fist, and rapped sharply on the door.

"Come in," barked a rough voice from the other side. In all of Jack's 19 years of being alive, he had never been so scared to open a door. It creaked open slowly.

"Kelly," Mr. Pulitzer grumbled, "Will you never learn to set up an appointment before you come barging into my office?"

"I did knock, sir." His voice cracked as he spoke.

"What is it Kelly?" This was the moment Jack had been dreading. He'd planned out everything he wanted to say so carefully, practicing every word over and over, but in that moment of sheer nervousness, he forgot all of it, and said in one rushed breath,

"I want to ask your daughter to marry me."

Mr. Pulitzer was silent. His face showed no emotion; he just raised his eyebrows and stared harshly at Jack, so Jack continued.

"I-I know we've never seen eye to eye, sir, b-but Katherine is the one thing we have in common, an I just thought you might… well I…" There was more silence. He took a breath and said very seriously, "I love her." Mr. Pulitzer sighed and took off his glasses.

"Well, I can't say I'm thrilled, but I've put some thought into the matter. This discussion seemed inevitable after all." He paused. "I suppose I want her to be happy."

Jack waited, his heart beating uncontrollably in his chest.

"So…"

"You have my permission," Pulitzer growled through his teeth.

"Thank you, sir." He sighed in relief. His hand was on the door handle, ready to leave, but something stopped him. Jack turned around cautiously. "Do you, uh, do you think she'll say yes?"

"Jack Kelly," came the unhappy reply, "I think my daughter is quite taken with you. Now get out of my office before I change my mind."

No one had to tell Jack twice.

**(Is this... a PLOT LINE? Yes, my friends. This story has a plot line. Boom. Please please PLEASE leave some reviews! I would appreciate any tips, constructive critisism, ideas, or prompts you have for me. Thanks for being wonderful readers.**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**(Author's Note: Okay, y'all knew this chapter was coming... Also, early update this week, due to the fact that I have family stuff going on Sunday, which is when I usually update. You're welcome.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

"What's going on?" Katherine asked abruptly, and the room fell silent. Jack stiffened, glancing desperately at Davey and Crutchie, hoping for some shred of advice, but they looked as surprised as he was. The four of them had been sitting in a small back room in Medda's theatre, talking and laughing while Jack worked on a new backdrop. Nothing had seemed amiss, that is, until Katherine started doing that reporter thing, figuring things out before she was supposed to know about them.

"C'mon," she continued, after receiving no response the first time, "You've been acting strange all day, all three of you!" Jack wracked his brain, trying in vain to think of something to say. "Don't think I didn't notice; I'm a reporter. It's my _job_ to notice things. What's going on?" She stood up and glared at the three boys. Davey and Crutchie turned to Jack, clearly unsure of what to do, so he set down his paints, took Katherine's hand, and said cautiously,

"What do ya mean, Ace? There's nothing-"

"Jack Kelly," she hissed, yanking her hand away and narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously, "I know you better than anyone else. You're hiding something." Jack sighed.

"Look, everything's fine," he said calmly, hoping she would believe him.

She didn't. She rolled her eyes, turning to the other boys.

"Davey? Crutchie? Please?"

Jack silently begged them not to say anything. They both knew the reason he'd been acting strangely; they were the only ones that knew, and he hoped they knew better than to breathe a word of it.

"I-uh-there's nothing, Katherine," Crutchie stammered. Jack was relieved, but not for long, because Katherine stared going off again.

"Why won't anyone tell me what the hell is going on here?" She shouted. Jack felt a little guilty. She did have every right to be upset, but if she would just wait a few days...

"Well?" She barked impatiently.

"I can't-" Jack began, but she cut him off.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"It's nothing, Ace!"

"If it was nothing, you could tell me!"

"Katherine-"

"Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you!"

"Jack-"

"Fine." He couldn't stand to argue with her any longer.

"What is it?" She yelled. Jack grabbed both her hands, forcing her to look him in the eyes and breathed quietly,

"Katherine Louise Plumber, will you marry me?"

"No!" The room was silent. Jacky's heart dropped into his stomach, and he turned away from her to face his astounded friends.

"Damnit!" He spat, clenching his fists. His heart was pounding loudly. He wasn't planning on this. Not at all. He hadn't even planned on asking her yet, but she was so upset, and he just sort of blurted it out without thinking... and she said no.

"Wait," her timid voice interrupted his thoughts, and Jack looked over to see that she had started to cry, just a little bit, a look of both shock and panic filling her eyes. "Can you give us a minute?" She said to Crutchie and Davey. They quickly scurried out of the room, but Jack had a feeling they'd just as quickly have their ears pressed against the door to listen.

"That's why you were acting strange?" She asked, moving close to him again, "You were going to ask me to marry you?"

"Er, sometime soon," Jack admitted, a little sheepishly.

"You-you really want to marry me?" She seemed to be having a hard time comprehending that fact. Jack just laughed,

"If you haven't already noticed, I'm kinda madly in love with you."

"Jack, I-I'm so sorry. Yes, yes I want to marry you. Uh, do I get another shot at it?"

"Well I dunno, you already said no," he teased, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Jack Kelly!"

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, "What do you say, Katherine? Will you marry me?"

"Yes." And she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. After a moment, Jack remembered what was sitting in his pocket.

"Oh, wait," he pulled the tiniest bit away from her and took out the little black box. "Davey reckoned I should keep it with me, ya know, incase I went and did something, well, something like this I guess." As soon as she saw the ring, Katherine began to tear up again. Jack slid the simple, gold band on her finger, relieved that she liked it.

"It was my mother's, her wedding ring," he explained. "She-uh-she would've really liked you. She'd have wanted you to have it."

"Really?" Katherine asked shakily, and Jack nodded.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, admiring it on her hand.

"You're beautiful," Jack whispered, and closed what little space there was left between their lips before she could respond.

It would have been a lovely moment, except suddenly, the door banged open, sending Davey and Crutchie tumbling to the ground. Jack only heard this though, because for once, the commotion didn't cause he and Katherine to jump apart like it usually did; they were too absorbed in each other to care.

"It got quiet in here and-oh," Davey muttered under his breath upon looking up from the floor, while Crutchie merely let out a low whistle. Jack just shooed them away with his free hand and kept kissing her, his Katherine, the soon to be Katherine Louise Kelly.

He could get used to that.

**(I think this is one of my favorites that I've written. Let me know what you think! Reviews would be lovely, especially since I've been working hard on this one for a while. Ask me in a review or PM me if you're curious to know what inspired this. It's really cute. I promise.**

**Much Love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**(Author's Note: So, before I get started here, I guess I have so explaining to do on the subject of Katherine's family. It is not historically accurate with the real Pulitzer family, but I'm the author, and that was my choice.**

**Katherine's mother died of pnemonia when Katherine was about 12, and was raised by her father, with the help of his sister, Lucille, who had two daughters of her own. At the time this story takes place, Katherine's cousins, Margaret and Phoebe, are 20 and 17 respectively. They're probably her closest friends from before the strike.**

**Sorry for that short interlude! Here you go!**

**Standard disclaimers apply, I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Jack was very uncomfortable, and very nervous. He was meeting Katherine's Aunt Lucille, who had practically raised her after her mother died, and cousins, Phoebe and Margaret, and he was... _nervous_. Well, maybe nervous wasn't the right word at all. He was... _anxious_. He so desperately wanted them to like him-it was bad enough having to suffer through the disapproving stares of Mr. Pulitzer-but Katherine seemed like she honestly couldn't care less.

"A dreadful woman, really," Katherine had told him that morning, "always trying to get me to give up writing and have tea parties or something like that, but Phoebe and Margaret are wonderful, and they're looking forward to finally meeting you." He tried to stay calm, for her sake, but when you're meeting the family of the girl you recently got engaged to, well, staying calm isn't always the easiest thing to do.

Jack sat stiffly on the couch beside Katherine. Phoebe, the younger cousin, and the one Katherine was obviously closest to, sat on the other side of her, and Margaret and Aunt Lucille sat in uncomfortable looking chairs. Jack could see what Katherine meant about Aunt Lucille being "dreadful." Her mouth was perpetually turned down, frowning slightly, and her eyes were harsh and glaring, giving him the impression that she already didn't like him.

He tried to do everything right. He answered all Aunt Lucille's questions, and tried to keep up a conversation. He'd even got Davey to help him find some suitable clothes to wear, but despite all of that, he was getting increasingly restless. All Jack wanted to do was hold Katherine's hand, or put his arm around her. He had never in his life been unable to have physical contact with someone, especially Katherine, but in all honesty, he was too terrified of Aunt Lucille to do anything of the sort. He merely cursed his tactile nature silently, and sat as still as he could manage. He nearly jumped halfway across the room when Katherine casually rested her hand on his knee, but after that second of panic, he relaxed a little bit. A look from Katherine told him she knew why he was so tense, and he smiled at her gratefully.

Nearly an hour later, it was over, and Jack breathed properly for the first time since he entered the house.

"Phoebe and Margaret are going down to the park, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Katherine said as they left the house, her cousins looking on anxiously.

"Yeah, see you later Ace." Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave, but Katherine put her hands on his shoulders and pressed her lips firmly against his. He was surprised, but he wasn't going to complain. When she took a step back, Katherine adjusted his vest and said matter-of-factly,

"There, now I feel better, don't you?" She smirked, obviously pleased with herself, turned around, and linked arms with her cousins, clearly enjoying the embarrassed looks on both their faces. Jack watched them walk away and chuckled to himself. It didn't matter so much anymore whether or not Aunt Lucille like him; Katherine sure seemed to, and that was all he cared about.

**(And, just because I like you guys, I'm updating AGAIN today. It might not be directly after this, but shortly. Please review. I could really use some inspiration right now, so ANY comments you have would be so helpful. I will always take prompts or ideas as well, both for this story, or for others!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**(Author's Note:** I** told you I'd give you another chapter today! I figured the last one was pretty short, so here's to make up for it, and just because I'm feeling generous today.**

**Standard disclaimers apply, I own nothing but my own imagitination.)**

The entire apartment had been quiet, save for the clicking of Katherine's typewriter keys, until around six o'clock, when there was a sharp knock on the door. Katherine ignored it, hoping whoever it was would assume she was not home. She was in no mood to talk to anyone just then; she'd been working tirelessly on an article about the upcoming election, and wanted desperately to finish it by the morning. She continued to pound hastily at the keys of her typewriter, but several moments later, she was interrupted by a softer, more cautious knock and a voice from the other side that called with a laugh,

"Ace? Hey I know you're in there. I can hear you typing."

Jack. She groaned and stood up to let him in, immediately returning to her desk once she had opened the door for him.

"Still working?" He ventured, peering over her to read the article, his hands resting heavily on her shoulders.

"Yeah," Katherine sighed, "Hopefully I'll have this done by tomorrow so I can get it turned in." Jack wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her from behind.

"Anything I can do for ya, Miss Plumber?"

"No, I'm alright, _Mr. Kelly_," she said distractedly, still fixated on the article in front of her. Jack frowned at her pensively, then, after a moment of thought, he took off his newsboy cap, set it on her head, and walked into the other room. Katherine smirked at the fact that he actually trusted her with his precious cap, and went back to her typing.

The apartment was no longer quiet. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but whatever it was, he sure was making a lot of noise doing it. Not that she minded much; she was fairly good at blocking out the sound and focusing in on her work. A half hour later, he reappeared, hovering at the side of her desk again.

"C'mon Ace," he instructed, snatching his cap off her head again. "You need to eat." She looked up at him, slightly puzzled, and her curiosity was enough to allow him to pull her reluctantly from her desk, into the kitchen. There were two plates on her small table, filled with fish, rice, and carrots.

"You can cook?" She asked skeptically.

"Eh, I picked it up here and there," he shrugged like it was nothing.

_"But, you can cook."_ Jack laughed and sat down at the table.

"Why don't you eat it and find out?" He winked at her, sending her heart fluttering in her chest. She could feel Jack's eyes on her as she tasted his food.

It was good. Not that she hadn't expected it to be, but somehow it still came as a bit of a surprise. She realized then that she really was hungry, not having stopped working to eat since breakfast that morning.

"Not half bad, Kelly," she teased, winking back at him, "Not half bad."

It was better than 'not half bad,' but Katherine didn't have time to elaborate because she was putting another fork full of Jack's food in her mouth. She hadn't had a meal that good in ages. Katherine had never been a very good cook; she was good enough to make simple dishes to live off of, but nothing like this. Jack was watching her intently, looking rather pleased with himself.

"What?" She said, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"I didn't even do nothing," Jack retorted defensively, looking rather confused. Katherine suddenly regretted sounding so sharp.

"You just-you seemed like you were waiting, or-or watching for something, that's all..." She trailed off, feeling silly for even bringing it up. Jack grinned lopsidedly at her, leaned forward on his elbows, and shrugged,

"Oh, nah, I just like to look at you, that's all." Katherine blushed profusely and avoided his gaze. That boy had no idea how much he got to her, did he? How was it that one little comment like that was enough to send her heart racing and fill her stomach with butterflies? She supposed that was why she was marrying him...

"Oh..." She muttered in response, turning her attention back to her dinner so he didn't see how badly her face was burning. When she'd finished, she stood up to wash her plate, but Jack stopped her.

"Ah, I got that," he reprimanded, taking the plate from her hands and quickly pressing his lips to her temple, "You go get that article done, sweetheart." He took both their dishes to the sink and started the water, shooing her back to her desk.

"You are too good to me Jack Kelly!" She yelled back at him. How on earth did she get so lucky? As soon as she sat down, her fingers started flying over the keys of her typewriter again. She didn't even hear Jack leave.

When her article was finally finished, she went into the kitchen, surprised to find that Jack was no longer there, his presence replaced by a note scrawled onto a scrap of paper in rather messy handwriting.

"Ace,  
>I don't wanna bother you while you're working on your article, so I'm just gonna go. I'll see you it good. You always do. I love you.<br>-Jack."

How on earth did she get so lucky?

**(Aww, I just love writing them. If you have any advice, ideas, or prompts, please review! Or, you know, if you just want someone to talk to about how freaking cute the lambs are...**

**Much love,**

**PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)**


	11. Chapter 11

**(Author's Note: I am so sorry about the late update guys, but I have been super busy, and I didn't want to upload this until I thought it was ready. Expect another one soon though!**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

"Does it scare you?" The question was completely out of the blue and caught Katherine off guard. She and Jack had been sitting at her small kitchen table, drinking rather clumsily prepared tea, in relative silence. Neither one had much to say, even though both of their minds were filled to point if bursting. It was a comfortable silence though; it didn't feel strange at all just to _be_ with each other, until Jack broke it with that question. He hadn't even looked at her when he'd asked it, just stared contemplatively into his tea. She should have expected it, it being the night before their wedding and all, but still, it took her by surprise.

"What?" Jack glanced up at her with a puzzled expression, and brushed a stray curl out of her face.

"Katherine, we are getting married tomorrow, and all's I want is an honest answer, are you scared?" Without skipping a beat, Katherine answered plainly,

"Terrified." And she was. She loved Jack, loved him more than she would ever love anyone in the world, and she couldn't see herself marrying anyone else. He was and always would be the best thing that ever happened to her, and in all honesty, she really didn't think she deserved someone like him. Katherine was more than elated to be getting married to Jack Kelly. But that didn't mean she wasn't scared. Marriage was a big deal! She had no idea what it was going to mean for them, and the thought of that uncertainty petrified her. "Are you..." She started to ask, but then thought better of it.

"Scared?" Jack finished for her, "Course I'm scared, Ace. I'd be kiddin' myself if I said I wasn't, but I love you too much to care." He reached across the table and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "A-an' it's okay to be scared... ain't it?"

"Of course it is." She smiled "We're both nervous and scared and overwhelmed, and that's normal."

Jack laughed awkwardly, "Yeah." Not knowing what else to do, Katherine took their mugs to the sink, having both finished their tea, and started to wash them out. She'd run out of words, an unusual occurrence for her, so she rinsed and washed the mugs in silence until she heard a voice speaking almost directly behind her.

"We're gonna be okay Ace," Jack purred in her ear. She hadn't heard him get up, and his sudden closeness startled her, causing her to jump slightly. The mug fell from Katherine's hands into the sink, where a long crack spread down the side.

Jack leaned down to kiss her neck just above her collar, slowly making his way up to her jawline and eventually to the corner of her lips. He spun her around to face him and his body pressed against hers. His fingers traced her sides, from the middle of her ribcage, down to her hips, making Katherine's breath hitch, which in turn caused a rush of pink to her cheeks. His mouth was centimeters from her own, and she could feel his breath on her skin.

"Does this scare you?" He whispered breathily. Without skipping a beat, Katherine answered plainly,

"Hell no," and closed the gap between them. Her fingers wound through his hair, seemingly of their own accord, that's how natural it was. It felt right, Jack's rough hands tugging at her hips as he kissed her passionately, his body flat against her, pushing her back into the kitchen counter. Everything was as it should be. Only one more day, and she wouldn't have to send him home afterwards, because he would be home, with her. Katherine kissed him until she couldn't breathe any longer, and broke apart from him reluctantly.

"You should probably head home, Jack. We have kind of a big day tomorrow." Jack looked at her with a feigned bewilderment.

"We do?" He asked incredulously. That boy. Katherine shook her head, and pointed to the door.

"Jack. Home. _Now_. We both need to get some sleep, okay?" He picked up his jacket and sulked toward the door.

"I'm going! I'm going!" He had his hand on the doorknob, but paused, and said without facing her, suddenly serious,

"Only, one more thing Ace. I love you. I think this is the last time I get to say I love you as your fiancé, and I just wanted to do it." He turned back to look at her. "I love you." Katherine was torn between laughing and crying, so she did a little of both. It was sweet, but so corny; Jack was nothing if not a romantic.

"You're pathetic, Jack," she chuckled, kissing him on the cheek and shoving him out the door, "and I love you too."

**(Keep reading and reviewing, blah, blah, blah, you've heard it all before. You guys are the best readers ever. By the way, I bet you all know what the next chapter's gonna be, and I am SO PUMPED FOR IT. Woot woot!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**(Author's Note: I am so excited to post this one! It's SO not waiting until Sunday, because I just can't take how cute the lambs are sometimes. I hope I did this chapter justice, it's kind of a big deal...**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Katherine was an emotional wreck. She hadn't expected it to be like that. She'd never felt this anxious before; she just wanted to get the damn thing over with, but that's not how weddings work. No, if anything, the clock seemed to tic at half the usual speed, the time slipping away slowly. Her stomach was tied up in knots and her heart would not stop feeling all fluttery and skittish. She knew she had no logical reason to be nervous, but she just couldn't shake the feeling. The worst part of it was, Phoebe and Margaret were insistent that she not see Jack beforehand. By about an hour before the wedding, Katherine wanted to rip both their throats out, but she knew they just wanted to help her. As her best friends and cousins, they had taken it upon themselves to make sure that everything went perfectly, and she had to admit, they were doing a fine job.

Katherine stood in front of a long mirror, staring intently at her reflection. She adjusted the sleeves of her cream colored dress; they were slightly annoying, but she endured it. It really was a beautiful dress.

Suddenly, a mop of brown hair that was desperately trying to return to it's naturally messy state broke into the mirror.

"Hey."

"Please go away, I'm working." Katherine pouted coyly at him through the glass, and Jack came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"That didn't work the first time Plumber, what makes you think it will now?" He muttered, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I was kinda hoping it wouldn't Kelly." It was nice to have him there, just standing with her to keep her calm. They looked like a real married couple, a real bride and groom. It was astonishing. "The only thing is," She finished reluctantly, "Pheobe and Margaret will have a fit if they catch you here. You're not supposed to see me yet, remember?" There were a lot of things Jack would do, but deliberately defying the only two members of Katherine's family that seemed to like him was not one of them. Davey was probably looking for him too; that boy was so nervous, you'd have thought he was the one getting married. Jack took a small step back from her, catching her hand as he did so.

"I'd best be off then," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, and pressed her knuckles to his lips gently, "I'll see you soon darling." And just like that, he was gone.

Her hands were starting to quiver, and her heart was beating rapidly. This was it, her wedding. Within the next hour she would never have to discern between Plumber or Pulitzer again, it would be Kelly. Katherine Kelly.

A few rushed hugs from her cousins later, she was standing at the entrance to the church on her father's arm. She'd been ecstatic when he agreed to walk her down the isle, no matter how he felt about the man at the other end.

"Thank you, daddy, for..." For being a wonderful father, she wanted to say, but somehow she couldn't get the words out. He certainly did his best, but he truthfully hadn't been a 'wonderful father', so she finished with, "for everything." Her father merely nodded curtly. He had never been one for emotions or sentiment, and instead of dwelling on her fathers less than interesting response to her attempt at being kind, her mind began to picture the room she was about to walk into. She could see it very clearly; her excited cousins with their eyes glued to her; her Aunt Lucille looking particularly sour; Medda in the back, wiping tears from her eyes as discretely as possible; and the newsboys. Both she and Jack had agreed they wanted a small wedding with mostly their families, but when your fiancé's family is an entire lodging house full of newsies, well, how could they not invite the boys? Katherine was sure it had been quite the spectacle, all of them trying to get cleaned up enough to attend a wedding. She would have liked to speculate a little longer on that, but her jumbled thoughts were cut short when the doors in front of her swung open to reveal a near perfect match of the picture she'd had in her head. There was one detail that she'd forgotten to imagine though, and that was her husband-to-be.

From the front of the church, Jack winked at her, and she bit her lip, stifling a laugh. There was that boyish charm she'd fell in love with nearly three years prior. She'd never met anyone like Jack, and she knew she never would again. When she had completed the longest 20-foot walk of her life, she was facing him, unable to keep a smile from her face. Looking back, she didn't remember much of the ceremony, just the very end, when Jack whispered, inaudible to anyone but her,

"For sure?" Katherine had never been so sure of anything in her life.

"For sure," she replied, and Jack kissed her. She heard one of the newsboys (it sounded suspiciously like Race) shout

"Yeah Jackie!" starting an uproar of cheers and whoops from the rest of the boys, and Katherine found herself laughing against Jacks lips.

And just like that, it was over.

"Mrs. Kelly?" Jack offered her his arm and they walked outside. Katherine blushed at the outburst of applause the two of them received as they exited the church; she was speechless, and Jack took that opportunity to hold her around the waist and kiss her again until all the air left her lungs. The cheers and hollers and even a few wolf whistles from the boys started up again, but Katherine Kelly didn't care. She was in Jack's arms, and she was home.

**(I love them so much. What did you think? Did it work for you? Let me know what you thought in the reviews please! It's super helpful to me! Also, if I were to write some more of these, delving more into Jack and Katherine's marrige, would it be better to continue putting them in here, or start a new story? I can't decide. I'm leaning toward just sticking with this, but I want your thoughts on the matter.**

**Much love,  
><strong>**PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)**


	13. Chapter 13

**(Author's Note: This is short and sweet and fluffy, so pretty fitting for my day today. It sounded like anyone who had an opinion on the subject preferred that I keep adding chapters to this story, so that's what I'm going to do. Thank you loves!**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

The first thing Jack felt when he woke up was two small, ice cold hands clasped gently around the base of his neck. He scrambled up instantly, yelling,

"Christ, Ace! What was that for?" His words were slurred together sleepily as he woke up. Through his morning haze he could just make out Katherine, giggling like a little girl.

"You were out Jack. I've been trying to wake you up for five minutes, and you just ignored me, so I got... creative."

He narrowed his eyes at her and retorted back,

"Yeah, well you didn't have to freeze me didja?" Jack frowned. He wasn't mad at her though. He could never stay mad at her. Even just woken up, sitting there sheepishly in her dressing gown, her limp, auburn curls falling in her face, she was beautiful. God, he loved her. Even after three weeks, it surprised him every morning to see her there, curled up next to him. He never would have dared to even imagine that one day, he would marry an angel, yet here she was; his wonderful, beautiful angel.

"C'mon Jack," she urged, "you're going to be late for work." She started to get up, but he caught her hand-her still very cold hand-and tugged her back toward him.

"Just a minute Ace," he hummed sleepily, and pulled her on top of him so that they were face to face, just inches away from each other.

"Jack Kelly..." She warned, but he ignored her.

"Hey, don't I deserve some kinda apology for being so rudely awoken?" He teased, a smile tugging at his mouth. Katherine looked at him skeptically, but he knew she'd give in. She never could say no to him.

"You are the most impossible boy, ever," she said sternly, and kissed him hard, holding his arms down at his wrists so he couldn't move. Jack had always been the kind of person who liked to be in control, but when it came to Katherine and her very strong willed spirit, well, he didn't mind letting her take control sometimes, and she was certainly in control now. Despite her small frame, Jack couldn't have moved from that position if he'd wanted to; she had him pinned. By the time she pulled away, they were both gasping for air, and more than a little flustered. She made a movement as if she was going to start kissing him again, but instead she hissed playfully,

"Now, get up Kelly. It's time for work." She jumped off the bed and flung the covers to the side in one fluid motion, leaving Jack in the cold.

"Augh!" He yelped as the air hit his skin. Katherine gave him a dignified look and started pulling clothing out of their closet, throwing a shirt and pants at him unceremoniously. "You are such a tease Katherine Kelly, you know that?" He quipped bitterly.

"So what if I am?" She smirked at him unapologetically. "You're the one who made the mistake of marrying me." Katherine shrugged him off and continued about getting ready for work, humming quietly to herself. That was something Jack never noticed that she did until after they were married; she would hum or sing very quietly while she was just going about her day. It was endearing, and always sounded light and pretty, but Jack knew if he ever mentioned that he'd heard it, the singing would stop. Katherine was funny like that. He wouldn't have thought such a smart, beautiful, talented young writer would get so self-conscious. So he contented himself to just listen to her sing as he dragged himself to get ready that morning.

Self-conscious, a tease, smug, cold hands, he'd take Katherine any way he could get her. She really was an angel, his angel. He was married to an honest to goodness angel. An honest to goodness angel with little, cold hands.

**(I hope you guys liked this one, I've been saving it for a while and was really excited to post it. Reviews are helpful, and just really nice. **

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**(Author's note: This doesn't even really need a note, but there's been one at the beginning of every chapter, so for the sake of keeping things consistant...**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

She had been so excited to show him. It was her first front page article in a very long time, and she'd been so proud of it. She burst through the front door of their building, a flurry of excitement, attracting questioning looks and sidelong glances as she rushed up the stairs, paper in hand. His initial reaction was exactly how she'd expected it to be, the expression on his face reflecting precisely what line he was reading, but when he got to the bottom of the page, his eyes darkened, and something resembling disappointment settled in them like dust collecting in the bottom of a fish bowl.

"What is it?" She pried, getting nervous, "What's wrong?"

"K. Plumber." He muttered. Katherine was puzzled. She didn't see a problem; it was just her name. She rose onto her toes and peered over Jack's shoulder.

"My byline? What's the matter with it?"

"I just thought... Well, it still says Plumber, don't it? You're a Kelly now, so I just assumed..." His voice was laced with frustration.

"Jack, it's just my byline." She tried to explain. "It was never my real name, so I didn't even think to change it. Does it matter?" Apparently it did, because Jack didn't reply, just dropped the paper on the kitchen table and sulkily mumbled something about going to see Davey, and stalked out, slamming the door behind him.

Katherine sank into one of the chairs at the table and stared at bottom of her article. "K. Plumber" glared angrily at her. She leaned her chair back onto two legs so that her curls fell back, nearly touching the floor, sighed loudly and melodramatically, and yelled to the empty apartment,

"I don't think I've done anything wrong here!" She never would have even thought about changing the name she published under; she wouldn't have thought it would be a problem. Obviously she was incorrect. Katherine snatched her paper off the table and bolted out the door.

It had taken her the good part of an hour to explain to her editor exactly why she needed to change it, but after talking in circles for a solid fifty minutes, it was done. Her article in the next day's paper would fix everything, she was sure of it, but that just left one problem.

Jack was cold with her the rest of the evening. He returned from Davey's long after dinner, and barely even acknowledged her before delving into his sketchbook. It must have hurt him more than Katherine had originally anticipated; he didn't even seem all that angry, just deeply wounded. She wanted to tell him that it was fixed, and that, yes, she really did love him and was proud to be married to him, but he needed to see it in print. So Katherine endured the painful silence that had settled between them. It was as if he'd forgotten she was there altogether. That stung.

Jack went to bed early that night. He mumbled something about being tired and needing to get some sleep and headed out of the room.

"Jack?" Katherine ventured, stopping him.

"Hmm?"

"I love you." There was a long pause that filled the room with an icy chill. The expression in Jack's eyes made Katherine feel like crying. He just stared at her with a look of complete and utter betrayal, and sighed,

"Love you too Katherine," before leaving. He was angry. She didn't think she'd ever seen him get angry like this, quietly angry. She would have rather he screamed at her, shouted about how upset he was, anything but this bitter silence.

Everything would be better in the morning, she reminded herself. Everything would be fixed in the morning.

She woke up early, wanting to buy a paper to show him as soon as he got up, and it being Saturday, she had a little time. Jack stirred momentarily as she left, and lifted his head wearily, mumbling,

"Where you going?" He seemed, in his morning haze, to have forgotten the events of the past evening.

"Go back to sleep," she hushed, kissing him on the forehead, "I'll be right back."

When she returned to the apartment a while later, Jack was sitting in the kitchen, stirring a cup of coffee monotonously. He didn't even look up from his mug when she walked in; he'd obviously recalled the fact that he wasn't exactly speaking to her. Katherine dropped the paper on the table in front of him, trying hard not to look smug.

"Page three, read it." She instructed, not giving him a choice in the matter. It was just a small article, nothing of great importance, so he got through it quickly.

"You... you changed it... for me." He said incredulously when he reached the bottom of the page. Katherine just nodded, waiting for a sign of approval, or anything to show that she'd done the right thing. Finally, after a series of long, disbelieving breaths, Jack looked up at her, stunned.

"Ace, you really didn't have to-"

"Yes, I did," she interrupted him, sitting in a chair to his left. "Jack, I love you, and I am so proud to be called your wife. I don't want you ever to doubt that." Jack went back to staring at her article, as if he couldn't believe it was real. He'd look down at the page, then up at her, with a sort of admiration shining in his eyes, and then back to the paper.

"It looks good, in print I mean," he stuttered.

"I thought so too."

"K. Kelly." He drew in a deep breath. "Thanks Ace." Katherine didn't think she'd ever been so happy to hear him call her Ace in her whole life.

"Jack, there is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for you." She kissed him quickly on the mouth and poured herself a cup of coffee. It was true. She would do anything for her husband, because she knew he would do the same for her. He didn't even have to say it out loud, she already knew it.

**(And, I say this every time, but please review! You guys are the best, and your reviews make me so happy! **

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**(Author's Note: So, this is just a short, fluffy chapter kind of as an apology in advance for next week's chapter. I'm so sorry for what I have to do to these poor kids, so here's a cute bit first...**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Katherine brushed a stray hair out of her face, subsequently smearing a long streak of ink across her cheek. She looked beautiful, the last bit of sunlight illuminating her from behind. Jack stepped up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"How's it going?" He asked cautiously. He never knew how she would respond to that question. There were equal chances that he would either get kissed or yelled at, and he could never quite tell which one was coming.

"Really well," she articulated brightly, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "At this rate I should be done within an hour." She said all this without once looking away from the page in front of her, and her fingers never faltered on the keys.

"That's good," Jack murmured, beginning to press tiny kisses into her neck. He wasn't necessary _trying_ to distract her from her work, but if it _happened_ to draw her away for a moment...

She drew in a deep, and clearly annoyed, breath.

"Jack Kelly," she warned, "I said I would be done in an hour."

"So, what you're saying is that you'll kiss me in an hour?" He said in a mockingly suggestive tone. She briefly tore her eyes away from her paper to look at him, her fingers pausing over the keys for the first time.

"Yes," she relented with a defeated sigh, "Give me one hour, and I'll give you the rest of the night, I promise." He pulled himself away from her reluctantly.

"I'm holding you to that Mrs. Kelly," he called.

"I expect you to!"

The hour passed by slowly, and Jack tried hard to be patient. He pulled out a scrap of paper and started to sketch, nothing in particular at first, but soon a woman with long curly hair began to take form. He had drawn her from the side, so her face wasn't seen, but he knew who it was. Jack had a tendency to draw the people he loved most, and, well... he had quite a few drawings of Katherine already.

Just over 60 minutes later, Katherine rushed to him,

"It's finished," she breathed, shoving the page toward him. He humored her and read it, knowing full well that it was amazing.

"It's great Ace, it's always great," he commented. Katherine smirked at him coyly, and grabbed him by the collar, kissing him passionately. Jack was momentarily stunned before kissing her back with equal intensity, his fingers digging into her thin shoulder blades, his body pressing her against the edge of their bed. She eventually let go of his shirt, and wound her fingers through his tangled mop of hair. He could still smell the ink on her skin, and he chuckled internally at how he was beginning to associate it with her now. Katherine's fingers were now back to playing absentmindedly with his collar, cool on his skin. Jack shivered slightly, even in their warm apartment, but he ignored it, and started a trail of kisses down her neck. This time, she didn't interrupt him with a shrill warning, she just let it happen, her breath hitching slightly, and when he reached the collar of her shirt, she grabbed him and pulled his lips back up to meet hers. He could have stayed that way forever, except his lungs were starting to burn. When he pulled away, they were both laughing and gasping for air, and Jack sputtered,

"Ya know Ace, I dunno if I ever told you this, but you're one hell of a kisser."

**(Just as a warning for the next chapter. It's not historically accurate all the way. A couple of events are getting shuffled a little earlier than when they actually happened because you know what? I'm the author. I'm taking creative license and running with it. Sorry not sorry. Please review! You guys are the best!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**(Author's Note: Well, a few of you guessed it. I'm sorry. History is being shuffled in the name of fanfiction, and it's going to be a rough couple of chapters for the lambs. Not really the greatest for the day after Christmas but...**

**This one does change perspective in the middle, so be aware of that. It's a pretty clear shift from Katherine to Jack, and back again, so you shouldn't have any trouble with it.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination. And my tears.)**

"We've been married three months and you're already leaving me?" Katherine screeched. She didn't usually get mad like this, but when someone you love tells you they're enlisting in the army, well, you do things you might not usually do.

"I'm not leaving you, Ace, I'll just be... away for a while," Jack said, trying in vain to calm down his frantic wife.

"Don't you 'Ace' me!"

"I'll be back before you know it." He took a step toward her, and she backed away like a frightened animal.

"How could you do this?"

"I have to do my part!"

"You could _die_ Jack." That made him pause for a second.

"I'll come home. I promise."

"Jack, you can't do this."

"It's done! I have to Katherine!" He argued, getting upset.

"No you don't!" She pleaded.

"You don't understand."

"Jack!" Then he did something Katherine never thought he would do. Something she didn't even think he was capable of doing. He lifted his hand as if to hit her.

She caught his wrist and grasped it tightly enough to leave a mark, her fingernails digging into his skin, her breathing heavy.

"Don't you ever raise a hand to me again, do you hear me? _Ever_," she articulated coldly, trying not to let her voice shake too badly. With that, she let go of his wrist, his hand dropping limply to his side, and she left, tears starting to fill her eyes.

He had tried to hit her. She couldn't get the thought out of her head. Jack Kelly, her husband, the man she loved more than anyone in the world had tried to hit her. It was so unlike him.

Katherine slammed the door hard as she left the apartment, not caring whether the neighbors heard. She wasn't even sure where she was going, but soon she found herself climbing up the stairs to the roof of the apartment building. How ironic. She collapsed on the rooftop, tears running down her face, her mind racing. Katherine wanted to forget that any of it had ever happened, but she couldn't get it out of her head. So instead, she cried. She cried because she was hurt, and because she was angry, and because she was scared. She cried because she never wanted to see Jack Kelly again, and because she didn't want Jack Kelly to ever leave her, and because he was leaving her. She just sat, and cried.

* * *

><p>He had to find her. He didn't know where she'd gone; he didn't even know where to start looking for her, but he had to find Katherine.<p>

Hot tears started to fight their way out of his eyes. Jack couldn't believe he'd almost hit her, the love of his life, his wonderful Katherine. He was falling apart inside just thinking about it. He was so grateful that she'd stopped him. He never would have forgiven himself if he'd hurt her. If only he could find her and apologize, maybe he could make things right. Then again, he wouldn't blame her if she never wanted to speak to him again, but he'd never know unless he could find her.

As soon as the apartment door slammed shut, he ran to it, but she was gone. Jack started to head down to the street, but something stopped him. If Katherine was anything like him-and in this case she most definitely was-her anger wouldn't take her down to the streets, it would take her up, just like Jack's anger had taken him up to his penthouse so many times as a boy.

He climbed the stairs slowly and nervously. He couldn't get her face out of his head when she'd caught his wrist. On the surface, there was anger. She was furious-her scowl and vicious glare proved that-but underneath, she was hurt. Her eyes glimmered with half-formed tears and she was saddened that he would ever try to hurt her. It pained him to see that face, but he knew he deserved it-he deserved any anger directed toward him. He would take it too. He only had one week before he had to leave her. God he hated to leave her...

And there she was. He'd reached the rooftop of the apartment, and his hunch was right; Katherine was sprawled near the edge, crying softly. Jack was terrified. He stood there silently for the longest time, pondering how to approach her. He just wanted to fix it. He wanted to take it back, but he knew he could never truly do that, so fixing it would have to do. He took a few steps toward her.

* * *

><p>She was absentmindedly playing with a loose curl when she heard someone approach her from behind.<p>

"Kat, I-"

"I don't want to hear it, just-just go." she spat, drying her tears abruptly and refusing to look at him. She simply crossed her arms across her chest and pursed her lips defiantly. "Don't touch me," she added, as she felt his hand graze her shoulder.

"Look, I don't know where that came from. It-it ain't like me to do somethin' like that, you know it ain't." His voice was broken like he'd been crying. It wasn't like him to cry. "Please, Katherine, you have to believe me when I say that that was the stupidest thing I've ever done. I love you, please just say something Katherine." When she didn't respond, he sat down next to her and took her hand, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"I am so sorry. I would never hurt you Katherine," he continued, calmer now, "and if you hadn't stopped me, I never woulda forgiven myself. Look, I hate leaving you here, but it'll only be for a year at the most, and Crutchie an Davey will be here with the rest of the boys who ain't enlisting, and I know they'd do anything to help ya out." Katherine let out a long breath, still unsure of how she felt, and said quietly,

"Promise me you'll come home."

"I'll come home." He leaned over to kiss her, but she turned away, not quite ready to forgive him. Jack huffed, exasperated,

"Oh c'mon Ace, you can be mad at me for a whole year while I'm gone, but I got one week before I ship out. Can you tolerate me for one more week?"

"We only have a week?" Katherine squeaked, not bothering to hide the note of panic in her voice. He nodded gravely, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, tracing tiny circles on the side of his hand. She forgot then and there any semblance of being upset with him.

"Well," she laughed sadly, "I guess I can put off being mad for a week." Jack smiled and draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"There's that sense of humor I'll miss so much," he muttered sarcastically. Suddenly Katherine was overwhelmed; finally processing what was about to happen to them, to their lives. She wrapped her arms tight around Jack's chest and hugged him, burying her face in his shirt. She was trying her hardest not to cry again, but several tears soaked into the fabric anyway.

"Woah there Ace, you're gonna squeeze all the air out of me," Jack chuckled, but he held her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll miss you," Katherine whispered, her voice wavering.

"I'll come home soon Ace, I promise."

**(Again, I'****m sorry for this one! It will get better, I promise you! Please review, and don't be afraid to point out things that need to be fixed or could have been done better! As long as you're nice about it, I will always take constructive critisism! **

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**(Author's Note: Wow, thank you guys so much for all the great feedback I got on my last chapter. It's been wonderful! If I forgot to address any questions you asked in a review, just shoot me a PM and I will get back to you as soon as I can.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

It was nearing midnight, and Katherine didn't want to fall asleep, because falling asleep would mean waking up, and waking up would mean Jack would leave her. Their week was up. She sat quietly on the couch next to him, silently cursing him for having to go. Jack had his arm wrapped around her shoulders firmly, and he whispered,

"You know I hate leaving you, Ace. I'm real sorry." That must have been the fifth time he'd apologized to her that night. He pressed his lips to her temple and she leaned into him. He smelled like paint.

"What am I gonna do?" She asked plainly, suddenly feeling very desperate, "Jack, what if-well-what if you don't come back?" It was a question that had been on her mind all week. What would she do without him? Of course, she'd been fine on her own-before Jack-but now? Katherine couldn't bear to think of what she might do if... well...

"I'll come back Ace," he started, but she interrupted him, strangely calm.

"I know. I know you will, I trust you, but you have to know that it's possible. You don't have control over what goes on out there. We both know that, and there's no sense ignoring it."

"Then... you'd make do Ace," he said after a moment of hesitation, "and you'd still have the boys and all, but it's not gonna happen. Okay?" Katherine's emotions were all over the place. As calm as she'd been a moment before, she was a wreck again now.

"Okay-" She would have said something more, but Jack leaned over and kissed her slowly. She reached up to touch his cheek, and before she even knew what she was doing, Katherine was on top of him, sitting in a straddle on his lap. She kissed him hard, running her hands through his messy hair-his hair always seemed to be a mess for some reason, and Katherine took a mental note of this. She knew it would likely be the last time she kissed him for a long time, and she wanted to remember every detail of it. Her blouse had come slightly untucked in the back, and Jack's fingers brushed lightly over her skin. Katherine shivered as he tugged gently at the hem, until his hands could eventually rest securely on her bare waist. All that mattered to her then was his hands on her skin and his mouth on hers. She wanted to stop time, to freeze everything into that moment and never let go, but as it grew later into the night, Jack finally murmured,

"You need to get some sleep sweetheart."

"I don't want to sleep," she mumbled, trying to convince herself she wasn't tired. She continued to protest half-heartedly, as Jack picked her up and carried her, like a child, to their bed. Katherine was determined to stay awake, but she was fighting a losing battle. Jack laid down next to her, and she clung to him desperately.

"I love you," he said, "more than anything, Katherine Kelly, I love you."

She was asleep before she could even respond.

The next morning was a blur of trains and far too short goodbye's. Katherine hardly even had time to process everything before Jack was walking towards his train-away from her. She ran out from the small group of boys (Crutchie, Davey, and Les) that had been allowed to come see him off.

"Wait, Jack!" She called, after him. She wanted to say something, anything, but when he turned to her, his face drawn and serious, all she could think to say was, "Um, I just-be careful." Jack squeezed her hand, nodded, and then was gone, lost in the rush of the crowd.

It was lucky Davey was there, because if he hadn't caught her, Katherine probably would have fallen completely to the ground. Something just snapped and suddenly, she no longer knew how to stand. Her knees buckled under her, and Davey's arms closed around her waist before she even realized she'd fallen. Tears started to stream defiantly from her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to regain her composure, it just wasn't happening.

"Shh, it's gonna be all right Katherine, I know it," Davey reassured her, and she hugged him tightly, knowing she was probably completely soaking his shoulder.

"Thank you for everything," she said, smiling though her tears, "You're a great friend Davey."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He, Les and Crutchie smiled grimly at her, and she was so glad that they were there with her; her boys. They headed out of the station together in silence, and Katherine decided right then and there that she was going to be strong for them, as well as for herself. She could wait a year. A year wasn't so long, right? She was going to make it through a year, and she was going to be strong.

**(Thanks again, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and a happy 2015 ahead of you!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**(Author's Note: Wow, this one ended up being really long and rambly, the longest I've ever written actually, so there's a change. The writing style is a little different in this one, so let me know if you like it. Also, this is the last sad one for a while! You have my word! Also, y'all better appreciate these quick updates! Thank goodness for winter break...**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

_"Dear Katherine,_

_I miss you. I ain't ever been too good with words and writing letters like you are, but I don't know how often I'll be able to write you, so I figure I better take the chance while I have it._

_It's cold here. I'm not too bad, but I've had a lot more experience being cold than some of the boys and they ain't doing so well with it. It's rough out here, I ain't gonna lie. Don't you worry about me though, I'll be okay. I can't say I'll be home soon, but I'll be okay._

_But I miss you Ace. I miss your smile and your laugh and the sound of your voice. Hell, I even miss your damn typewriter. I'll never complain about that thing again, I promise. I love you so much Katherine. I'd give anything to be at home with you right now. I hate thinking of you there by yourself. Have the boys been over to help you out? How are they? I hope everything's alright there. I miss you so much. I hate not being with you. That's the worst part really. I miss you. And I'm sorry I had to go. I am so sorry. I love you. I love you more than anything Ace, there is nothing in this world that could make me stop loving you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're my angel._

_Please take care of yourself while I'm away, okay Ace? The boys is supposed to be watching out for you, and I made them promise to write me if you aren't alright. You sometimes tend to forget to eat or sleep when you're working, and you never work harder than when you're upset or unhappy. I know this is upsetting for you, so please get food and rest, even if I'm not there to make you get food and rest. Okay? I love you too much to let you forget that just because I'm gone. Be careful. I love you, and I miss you._

_Your husband,_  
><em>Jack"<em>

It was stained with tears, that letter, the only letter she ever got while he was gone. She cried silently over that letter countless times, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, reading his words over and over, even though she could already recite the entire thing from memory. The paper had started to tear along the creases from being folded and unfolded so many cold, unfeeling nights in the dim light of their apartment. The ink had begun to fade where her tears had streaked the page, each drop that fell from her cheek inevitably landing on the paper, as if drawn to it by some unseen force. The letter was worn, and tired.

Katherine was worn and tired. Her skin was pale with worry, and she was thinner now, her shoulder blades, collarbone and spine protruding from under her skin a little more than they should have. Her eyes were dark and sullen, though she tried hard to hide that they were so. He'd asked her to take care of herself, no doubt he'd made the boys promise to check up on her, so she did the best she could to seem okay, for their sake as much as her own.

Because this wasn't easy on them either. They were used to not having him around quite as much, but just knowing that the fearless Jack Kelly was absent from New York put all of them on edge. One or two of them would stop by each week, and each one in turn had confessed to her just how much they missed him. Even Race, who had taken it upon himself to fill in for Jack as ringleader, and always tended to have a little bit of a rougher edge, broke down at her kitchen table one afternoon, and started going off about how much it was killing him to not have Jack around. It broke her heart to see those boys suffering like that. She would have taken it all on herself if she could have, just so that they didn't have to.

Katherine tried so hard to be strong, at work and with the boys, but she missed him too. She missed him so much. She missed his laugh, and his boyish charm, and the way he could turn any day around and make her feel better just by being there. She loved him more than anything, and it was devastating to have him gone so long, and to have that tiny thought in the back of her mind that he may never come back. Katherine knew she could never love anyone the way she loves him. But there was nothing she could do but wait, so during the day, with her friends and family, she was strong. She was the positive force.

At night though, when she was alone, that's when it got bad. And it was getting worse, the nightly insomnia. Katherine knew it would. She knew that Jack being away would be nothing but fuel to the fire. Most nights she stared blankly at the ceiling for hours, wishing she could just fall asleep, but it wasn't that easy. Somehow, no matter how tired she was, she just couldn't sleep, and if she did, she never slept easily. Most times though, sleep wasn't even an option.

After a while she'd simply give up trying, choosing instead to type, sometimes an article for work, other times a draft of a letter to Jack, which would usually leave her with tear stains on her cheeks and a letter she'd never mail. Or she would spend her evenings looking through Jack's drawings, marveling over how detailed they were, and just how many times he'd drawn her without her knowledge. That often ended in tears too.

Because damnit, she missed him. It was just downright strange to go about her day without him by her side. His newsboy cap, which had been Jack's constant companion, now hung vigilantly on the bed post, and Katherine couldn't decide whether it made her feel better or worse. But those nights, when sleep seemed to be the farthest thing from her mind, it was a comfort to her. It still smelled like his paints (which were locked in a trunk under the bed with the rest of his art supplies, waiting patiently for his return), and if she closed her eyes, Katherine could almost make herself believe he was home. She spent many long nights, curled up, shivering under a thick blanket, clutching the worn, grey cap, wishing Jack would come home to her.

This night in particular was especially bad. Katherine sat in the armchair in the living room, her knees drawn up to her chest, just looking at that letter. She wanted it to be over; she wanted him to come home, and she wanted to be able to sleep again. She closed her eyes and waited, but it was no use. The clock read 1:57, which is why she let out a tiny gasp and jumped out of the chair, nearly tipping it over, when there was a soft knock on the door. For a brief moment, she entertained the thought that it could be Jack, but she knew deep down that wasn't the case. She hesitated to open the door, but then a small, meek voice sounded from the other side,

"Uh, Katherine? Can I come in?" Crutchie. She unlocked the door immediately and ushered him inside.

"Crutchie Morris, what on earth are you doing out so late?" She asked, feeling a little like a mother duck looking after a lost duckling.

"Well, I couldn't sleep," he explained, leaning a little heavier on his crutch. "And uh, Jack said you probably wouldn't be sleeping too good either, so I figured as long as I was up, I'd come make sure you was doing okay." Katherine smiled, and immediately wrapped him in a hug.

"Crutchie, you're the best friend anybody ever had." After quickly making a pot of tea, the two insomniacs sat in the living room for a good part of the night, him on the couch, resting his bad leg, her curled back in the armchair, both very glad to not be alone for once.

After an hour or so, there was a soft silence that fell between the two of them. Neither one said anything, just drank their-now cold-tea, until Crutchie mumbled almost inaudibly,

"I miss him, Kat." One small tear dripped from his face and landed in his cup, making tiny ripples in his tea. "He's my best friend..." He sniffled, rubbing his nose on his sleeve, looking very much like a little boy again.

"I know Crutchie, I know." Katherine moved to sit on the edge of the couch by him, "But he'll be back, I can promise you that."

"But what if-" Crutchie started, but Katherine cut him off, echoing the same thing Jack told her the day he left,

"He'll be home soon. I promise." A lopsided smile formed on Crutchie's face.

"How come when _you_ say it, I believe you?"

"Because you know I'm always right," Katherine laughed, "Now you need to get some sleep, and before you say anything, you are not limping all the way back to the lodging house, Jack would never let you do that, and you know it." She tossed an extra quilt at him, hitting him square in the face.

"Thanks Kat," he chuckled, yanking the blanket off his head and curling up on the couch.

When Katherine was back in her own bed, she realized that saying those words out loud, and getting Crutchie to believe them, it made her believe them too. Jack promised he'd come home to her, and Jack was not one to break promises. He'd do whatever it took to come home. For once, Katherine fell asleep easily.

**(Like I said, last sad one! And, if you haven't already, please go check out my other one shot, Saying Goodbye, where Jack talks to the Newsies right before he ships out for the army. Shameless self promotion over now, thanks a bunch! Reviews would be great! **

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**(Author's Note: An end-of-the-year present for you! A happy chapter! Thanks for sticking with all the sadness this long guys. And happy New Year's Eve!**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Ten months. He had been gone for ten months and Katherine had heard from him once. He told her he didn't know how often he'd be allowed to write, but she'd thought... She'd hoped...

Ten months. She had waited for ten months and she still had two more to go. He'd said one year, and Katherine was clinging to that promise more desperately than anything.

Ten months. That was what Katherine was thinking of as she typed mechanically at her desk. She sat at the typewriter in her office, finishing the last sentence of a story she'd been following, when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she called monotonously, knowing her boss was probably ready to take her completed work to be printed, but instead of the usual, "Ready Mrs. Kelly?" that usually accompanied his occasional visits to her office, there was the creak of her door, and silence. Curious, she looked up from her paper to see Jack, standing there, still in his uniform.

"Told ya I'd be back soon," he said, a lopsided grin on his face. Katherine was stunned. She stood up from her desk slowly, muttering,

"You... You're here. You are... Why didn't you write me and tell me you were coming home early, Jack Kelly? Damnit!" She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, so she did both. "Get your ass over here Kelly!" He walked slowly to her desk, but Katherine met him halfway. It looked to her like it pained him to move very much. She flung her arms around his neck, and Jack stiffened and gasped sharply.

"Careful, Ace," he breathed.

"Oh!" Katherine took a step back, almost afraid that she might break him if she stood too close. She realized that he probably had a lot more injuries than he'd like to let on just yet, and she didn't want to hurt him.

"Mind if I walk you home, Mrs. Kelly?" He teased, offering her his arm.

"Not at all." She could feel the eyes of her coworkers on her and her husband as they walked out of the building, but then again, Katherine couldn't stop looking at him either. It was killing her to not know the extent of his injuries, and part of her just wanted to hear it and get it over with, but the other part of her knew that she was dreading finding out what lasting effects the war had left with him.

They walked most of the way home in silence, just enjoying each other's company and greeting the occasional passerby who happened to know them, but about a block away, in a narrow alley (their own personal shortcut to their apartment), Jack stopped in his tracks, seemingly near tears just from looking at her.

"Katherine, I... I just..." He paused, and then suddenly grabbed Katherine by the collar of her shirt-in a manner that could have been mistaken for violence because of how sudden and forceful it was, but was nothing but desperation and ten months of pent up emotions-and kissed her breathless, right there in the middle of the street. She wrapped her hands carefully around his neck, not wanting to hurt him. "I'm so sorry," he muttered between kisses, "I hated leaving you-I missed you so much Ace." His hand pressed into the small of her back, drawing her closer to him. Katherine couldn't remember ever kissing him like this, like she was afraid to let him go. It was his turn to cry now, his tears falling on her cheeks as he held her close to him. Neither one wanted to budge from that spot, and they stood there for what felt like hours in each other's arms. It was Katherine who eventually pulled away, both because she knew they needed to get home, and because she needed to breathe.

"C'mon," she coaxed, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," and started to walk the rest of the way to their building, Jack immediately following her, and letting her take his arm again.

"I didn't think you would be," he assured her with a laugh, "I just didn't think I could wait until we got home for that."

When they reached their small apartment, Katherine reluctantly let go of Jack's arm and whispered tentatively,

"Welcome home." She sat down on the couch, and Jack moved to join her, but paused, taking off his army jacket and shirt.

"I, uh, thought you should at least know," he said, turning around to face her, but avoiding her gaze as if he was afraid she'd be angry with him.

"Oh, Jack," Katherine breathed. His upper right arm was bandaged with a thick, white cloth; that must have been what she hit when she hugged him in the office, but it wasn't what she had gasped at. There were also several long, jagged, half-healed scars across his chest and stomach. She didn't want to know how he'd gotten them. She couldn't bear to listen to that.

"Couple of broken ribs too," he added. Jack sat down with her and pulled her into his lap, and Katherine let herself cry for a moment. She didn't know why she was crying, but Jack just held her as tears spilled onto his shoulder.

"This feels so surreal," she said, wiping away her tears. "I can hardly believe you're really here. I-I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Ace," Jack chuckled as he pressed his nose to her cheek playfully, "And I promise, I ain't ever leaving you again." She ran her fingers over his jaw bone, and was surprised to find another injury there. A long scar ran along the right side, and it almost seemed like there was an indent, as if a piece of his jawbone was missing there. Katherine looked up at him inquiringly and he smiled sadly at her.

"Oh, yeah, there's that too," Jack admitted.

"Jack Kelly," she threatened, feigning anger, but having a hard time not laughing at his-clearly faked-wounded expression, "You'd better not be hiding anything else!"

"I ain't! I swear," he laughed, putting his hands up.

"Good!" And with that she kissed him until she couldn't breathe again, running her hands over his scars lightly, wishing with everything she had that she could fix them. She wanted to heal them, she wanted to make them stop hurting him, but she didn't want to make them go away. They were a testament to him, and what he went through, and Katherine loved him even more for them. She was happy just knowing that Jack was home with her, and that he was safe.

Soon after, she fell asleep there, in his arms, and he carried her to their room the best he could with all of his injuries. When she woke up later that night, as she often did, Katherine found herself in her bed with her husband beside her, his bandaged arm draped loosely over her waist, breathing quietly.

"He's really here," she whispered to herself before falling back asleep, "He's here, and he's safe, and everything is going to be okay."

**(To those of you who asked me if I was going to kill Jack, what kind of soul-destroying villan do you think I am? I could never do that to my lambs, they're too dang cute to be torn apart like that. I had trouble with just writing this much...**

**Which reminds me, if anyone can point out the one way that Jack is now more similar to Jeremy Jordan after this chapter, I'll dedicate my next chapter to you! I thought it was pretty clever... If you're stuck, go watch Jeremy's "Ask-a-Star" vidoe on broadway . com. That should help.**

**Again, please review! The ones I have gotten, while heartbreaking, have been wonderful!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**(Author's Note: Okay guys, this one is kinda short, but I wanted to get one more chapter up before I go back to school tomorrow. I'll still be updating once a week on Sundays like normal, but I won't be able to do much more than that like I have been recently. Sorry again that it's a short one!**

**Also, a lot of you were able to figure out my little puzzle that I left in the last chapter, but the first ones to do so was a guest who reviewed as "Ace" (very cute, by the way) and ****avalonsnow15. Thanks guys!**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

The sky was dark; it was probably two or three in the morning, Katherine guessed, so why on earth was she awake? Something had woken her, but her groggy, sleep deprived brain couldn't quite remember what it was, and it frustrated her. She was about to give up and go back to sleep, when she heard the muffled cry.

"No. No-I can't." Jack. She remembered now. She'd heard of this happening to other men who'd come home from war, horrible dreams of being amongst the fighting again, constant nervousness and unexplainable fears. She'd prayed it wouldn't happen to Jack, and he'd seemed fine up until this point. He continued to whimper incoherently as Katherine turned on a lamp and leaned over him.

"Jack? Wake up, Jack, it's me, it's Katherine. Please wake up sweetheart, it's okay, you're safe now. Please just wake up." She grabbed his arm, and Jack shot up suddenly, but didn't seem to recognize her, or even realize that she was there.

"I don't want to go," he cried; his face was pale, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with terror. "Please don't make me. I can't. I just can't." Jack was soaked with a cold sweat, and Katherine didn't know what to do.

She was clueless as to how to begin to help him.

"Jack, please look at me," she articulated, starting to panic, "Jack, everything's okay, it's me, your wife, please Jack, you're scaring me. You're safe, you're home, it's okay." Nothing was helping. Eventually Katherine did the only thing other she could think to do, and held him, cradling his head against her chest as he continued muttering, "I don't want to go." She just stroked his hair and held him tightly, doing everything she could to drag him back to reality. She almost didn't realize-several minutes later-when the muttering stopped, until Jack moved to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close.

"Jack, are you-"

"I just wanna listen to your heartbeat, Ace." His voice wavered and cracked when he spoke, and Katherine's heart ached for him. She held in her questions as long as she could manage, feeling his breathing slowing down, and pressing light kisses into his messy hair.

Finally, like the reporter she was and always would be, Katherine couldn't stand not knowing any longer.

"You thought you were back, didn't you? In the fighting again?" Jack pushed himself up so that he was eye level with her. She could tell that he was trying very hard to be strong-probably for her sake-but it wasn't easy. She could see that the nightmare had shaken him more than he'd like to admit to her. He indirectly answered her question, saying simply,

"It was real bad Ace." Katherine let out a small breath. She couldn't find words enough to comfort him, but it didn't matter because Jack suddenly took her head in his hands and said shakily, "Katherine, during the war, you was the only thing keeping me sane. I-uh-I had this picture of you, well, I still have it." He reluctantly moved away from her for a moment, opened the drawer of their nightstand, and pulled out a badly wrinkled photograph. "I kept it with me all the time, and there would be days when I'd wonder if it would just be easier to give up, but then I'd make myself look at it, and remember that you was back here, and I'd know I had to do whatever it took to live long enough to come home, for you, Ace." He handed her the photograph.

It was a picture of her, on her wedding day, just after she'd stepped outside and seen the crowd of Newsies in the streets. She was laughing, and she looked so happy.

"I dunno what I'd have done if you wasn't here just now." Katherine moved closer to him, gently taking his arm and coaxing him to lie down and try to sleep again.

"Lucky for you, that's one thing you'll never have to worry about," she reminded him, "I'll always be here." She curled up next to him, letting him wrap his arm tightly around her waist and rest his chin on the top of her head, as if he was the one protecting her instead of the other way around. He breathed out a long sigh and whispered,

"I love ya Ace."

"That's good," she murmured into his chest, "cause I love you too."

**(Hope you guys liked it! Please review and let me know! See you again next week!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**(Author's note: Okay, this isn't great, I will be the first to admit that, but I wanted to get something up tonight. It's short and has absolutely no plot, but I had writers block, so this happened. It will be better next week, I promise.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Jack stood back, trying to stay out of the way as Katherine paced the apartment nervously.

"Writers block, Jack! I don't get writers block!" If he could just get her to calm down for a moment, maybe he could talk some sense into her.

"Ace, every writer gets writers block sometimes," he hushed gently, but she brushed past him and sat back at her desk, ripping the paper from the typewriter unceremoniously.

"Look at this! It's complete garbage," she practically yelled.

"It ain't that bad, you've got to cut yourself some slack sweetheart." He took the paper from her and set it on the desk, crouching down so that he was eye level with her. "Look, just take a break and come back to it later." Her eyes were filled with self-doubt; Jack hated to see her like that. She was such a gifted writer; how was it that she was the only one who didn't see that? He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I shouldn't be having this much trouble though," Katherine countered, "I never have problems with words, but nothing seems right with this. It's like I can't even string together a cohesive sentence without completely hating everything I've written by the time I get to the end of it!" She stood up and started pacing around the room again. "Do you know when the last time I had this much trouble writing an article was? It was when I first met you, and I wrote about the strike. I just-"

"Wait," Jack interjected, finally putting the pieces together. "Ace, what's this article about?" Katherine looked at him quizzically and said,

"An orphanage in upstate New York. They-they're not giving the kids the kind of education they need. I've been following it for weeks, uh, why?" Jack ignored her question.

"And, this is something that's really important to you, ain't it?"

"Yes-Jack, what are you getting at here?" Jack couldn't help but smile. This was exactly why he loved her.

"Ya know why you're having trouble with this?" He laughed, "It's cause it means so much to you. You really need these kids to get an education, just like you needed us newsies to get fair pay when we was kids." By this time, Katherine had stopped pacing, and was looking far calmer than Jack had seen her all evening. "You just need to take a break from it, Ace. You get so worked up, trying to do the right thing and all, that ya get writers block." He laughed internally at the slightly despondent look that crossed her face at his last words.

"Don't you get it, Jack?" She retorted sadly, "It _is_ so important to me. That's why I have to finish this. Those kids... Those kids are..." She trailed off, sighing. She leaned against Jack; she looked downright pathetic-tired, crumpled and limp-like she was giving up, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ace, just because you've gotta try again tomorrow don't mean you failed today." A long sigh fell from Katherine's mouth.

"Maybe you're right," she mumbled, "Maybe I just need to give it another go tomorrow."

"Course I'm right," he said with a smirk, earning himself a smack on the arm from his wife, who glared at him.

"Hey, don't push it Kelly. I'm taking your advice, you don't need to act so smug about it."

**(Was it as bad as I thought? Let me know, reviews are helpful. Also, some ideas or prompts would be so appreciated. I know where I want to go with this next, but I want to hear from you guys. Also, some of you have asked for a reunion story with Jack and the Newsies, and that is definitely in the works! It will be done soon!**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


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